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India and Israel: Move closer with defense ties

by Mritunjay | November 8, 2009 at 06:52 pm

188 views | 16 Recommendations | 8 comments

Indian Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor arrived in Israel on Saturday (November 7) on a three day working visit where he is scheduled to hold talks with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and top military officials including IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz among others. The general was welcomed in a festive ceremony at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.

The discussions are 'part of regular ongoing exchanges' to strengthen bilateral defense ties. The Indian Army Chief will also attend a special ceremony in the Yad Vashem memorial, where he will lay flowers in memory of Holocaust victims.

The visit is also expected to allay fears that the inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into controversial Barak missile deal may disrupt the robust defense ties between the two countries. Israel has become India's No.1 supplier of arms and ammunition, overtaking Russia with of supplies constituting about 50 percent of Israel's defense exports and about 30 percent of India's defense imports.

Israel has supplied a range of defence products, including Barak missiles, assault rifles, night fighting devices, radar network, hi-tech electronic warfare systems and information technology related equipments.
The Indian Air Force last May received the first of the three Phalcon airborne early warning radar systems (AWACS) from Israel as part of a 1.1 billion USD deal in a big boost to its surveillance capabilities in the region.

The next delivery is expected in the first quarter of next year. As per recent reports, India is interested in working with Israel on submarine-launched cruise missiles, ballistic missile defense systems, laser-guided systems, satellites as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

The visit comes just before the first anniversary of the Mumbai-terror attacks last on 26 November at multiple locations including Chabad House (A Chabad house is a centre for disseminating Orthodox Judaism by the Chabad movement), during which over 170 people were killed, including the Chabad emissary to Mumbai and his pregnant wife. After the attack, Israel and India have increasingly cooperated on security issues especially beefing up the security along Indian coastlines, from where the terrorists had infiltrated during the attacks.

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Hugh Askew

at 19:02 on November 8th, 2009

That is indeed very good news. Excellent post, Mritubjay!

A little known item of huge strategic import in Asia.

Many thanks for reporting this.

Mritunjay

at 19:20 on November 8th, 2009

Thanks for kind words of appreciation. Yes, it is an important subject that has long term implications to both the nations as well as other nations.

India and Israel growing closer mostly does not go well down with some of the other players in the region.

The time to come would tell the real implications.

Thanks for reading, recommending and commenting.

Admiral Akbar

at 22:00 on November 8th, 2009

this is hardly good news. Just a couple of decades ago India gave support to the Palestinians. Now India is the biggest buyer of arms from a country of thugs and bullies, and led by racists imperialists who have been ethnically cleansing the West Bank for 60 years!

Hugh Askew

at 03:26 on November 9th, 2009

If the Arabs and Palestinians had accepted UN Resolution 181, that partitioned Palestine 60 years ago, the region would be at peace.

How many times have the Arabs and Palestinians refused to do so over those 60 years? How many times during that 60 year span have they attacked Israel?

Thugs? Israel, a nation of 7 million - surrounded by about 150 Arabs - hardly fits the definition.

Paschen

at 00:27 on November 9th, 2009

Interesting, but not surprising.

Israel is loosing ground in the west and has to seduce new allies. And India's relations with Russia are cooling off lately why it needs new allies as well and a new supplier of technology and know-how.

India is using that opportunity to improve its economy and technology with the help of Israel.

Power games for supremacy, no different then what India is criticising the UK or the USA for doing them self.

Hugh Askew

at 03:14 on November 9th, 2009

Perhap, they both see the threat of the "power games for supremacy" posed by radical muslims, and muslim countries in Asia.

Seeing a common enemy, they take the very wise and prudent steps needed, as to counter that threat.

israeli.agent

at 08:49 on November 9th, 2009

"power games for supremacy"

Prefixed by "subtle".

.Agent.

Issacn (not verified)

at 14:57 on November 9th, 2009

India has extremely warm relations with Israel and long may they continue. Joint development in defence is the new mantra. The massive Barak SAMS project has already been announced. Of this list, Cruise missile project the new *welcome* surprise. In BMD, India had acquired Long-range radar and jointly development them. Each has its own maturing BMD project - so, it may be about sharing some subsystems. India is launching its own Rostum UAV project; its naval UAV co-op should be ready soon. Israel expertise is world-class and very useful. India is an established player in satellite market. (W2M contract with European TV firm uses ISROs satellite bus). SAR from Israel for RISAT-2 is now helping India check terrorist infiltrations from Pakistan into India.